By Chris Sorensen

Memorial Day – once know as Decoration Day – honors those who died serving the country.

This year, the day falls on it traditional day, May 30. Until the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was passed in 1968, May 30 was the designated day since it corresponded with no major battles and allowed the focus to remain on those who had died. Families would gather to place flowers and other adornments on the graves of soldiers.

Beginning in 1971, the last Monday of May has been observed as Memorial Day by the federal government and, over time, states adopted the practice. Some people believe the change in date has also changed the focus of the holiday and diminished the honor to those who died in defense of the country. Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawai’i, a World War II veteran, was one such person. Beginning in 1987, he introduced a resolution to restore the traditional May 30 date – which originated in 1868 - and continued to do so in every session of Congress until his death in 2012.

Flying the Country’s Flag on Memorial Day

The nation’s flag is flown at half-staff until noon Memorial Day to honor the fallen. It is first raised briskly to the top of the staff, then solemnly lowered to half-staff. At mid-day, it is raised again to the full position, symbolically raising the memories of the dead and renewing a commitment to the continued fight for liberty.

The 1998 Defense Authorization Act added the flying of the Prisoner-of-War/Missing-in-Action (POW/MIA) flag at military installations and federal buildings. It, too, should be flown at half-staff until noon.